The Association of Health Literacy With the Quality of Discharge Planning and Readiness for Hospital Discharge in Jordanian Acute Myocardial Infarction Patients

AIM: To examine the relationship between health literacy with the quality of discharge planning and readiness for hospital discharge in acute myocardial infarction patients in Jordan. BACKGROUND: Acute myocardial infarction is a major heart disease caused by plaque formation in coronary arteries. Complications after acute myocardial infarction include readmission and physical complications such as chest pain, and limited health literacy increases the risk of complications. Improving the health literacy of patients can improve postdischarge outcomes and decrease complications. METHODS: This study was conducted using a cross-sectional design. Data were collected from 123 patients who were recruited from three hospitals in Jordan. A demographics questionnaire and three valid and reliable instruments (Health Literacy Questionnaire, Readiness for Hospital Discharge Scale and Quality of Discharge Teaching Scale) were used to collect the data. The authors adhered to the STROBE checklist during the preparation of this study. RESULTS: The results demonstrated that the Readiness for Hospital Discharge had weak to moderate positive correlations with health literacy scales (r = 0.24-0.36, p < 0.05). The content subscale of the Quality of Discharge Teaching Scale showed weak positive correlations with navigating the healthcare system, finding good health information and understanding health information scales of the Health Literacy Questionnaire. CONCLUSION: The results reported here indicate that health literacy positively correlates with readiness for hospital discharge and quality of discharge teaching. RELEVANCE TO CLINICAL PRACTICE: Improving the health literacy of acute myocardial infarction patients can enhance their discharge planning outcomes. The findings of this study are beneficial for healthcare providers in designing targeted interventions that correspond to health literacy among acute myocardial infarction patients. PATIENT OR PUBLIC CONTRIBUTION: No patient or public contribution.